Small Town USA
by Rianya
Summary: The Doctor, Donna, and Willow  from Midnight Revisited - an original companion  want to visit Donna's folks in London. So what are they doing in a Small Town in the United States?
1. Small Town USA

Small Town USA

"Okay, Willow, some things you should know…" the Doctor began after he took a sip of the tea Donna handed him.

"You're not a human being. You're a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, which is gone now and you're the last one, and you have two hearts," Willow interrupted him, her eyes looking slightly above him and to the left as she recited. "This is the TARDIS and it travels through time i_and/i_ space and you run into trouble most places you end up. Oh, and you run a lot."

"Erm, well, yes," the Doctor stuttered obviously slightly deflated to have his explanation snatched away from him. Willow felt a pang of anxiety – she'd done it again, committed a social gaffe.

"I've been explaining a few things," Donna told him smugly. "Thought she should know what she was getting into."

"I like to explain things," the Doctor almost pouted.

Willow swallowed a giggle. She loved watching the two of them bouncing verbal prods off of each other. She couldn't help but hope that simply hanging around with them would help her to not only learn how to do the same but to also gain the confidence to do so.

"So with you I can go anywhere and anywhen. I can't wait," she concluded when the other two paused to give each other pointed looks.

"Did you have a preference?" the Doctor asked her.

"Oh no," Willow assured him. "I wouldn't presume to tell you where we should go."

"You're going to need to toughen up a bit if you're going to run with him, dear," Donna advised her with a smile. "If you don't stand up for yourself you'll just get run over."

Willow blushed and put her head down, her pale blond hair falling across her face like a veil.

"Oi, I'm not trying to embarrass you," Donna apologized.

"No, it's all right," Willow assured her in the extremely quiet voice she used when nervous. "It's just that I'm new to all of this. I've no idea what would be a good destination."

Willow's head stayed down and her fingers were tightly clenched in her lap. The Doctor and Donna exchanged meaningful looks. The Doctor put down his cup and reached out to cover her white knuckled hands with one of his own.

"Willow, we aren't going to get angry with you and I'm not going to ask you to leave," he assured her gently. "I don't operate like that. I had a companion once who almost destroyed the entire Earth but I let her stay."

"I'm sorry. I'm just used to…" Willow coughed slightly and then spoke again, with slightly more volume. "I've never been to Earth. Do you know where it is?"

Donna smiled encouragingly at her and then looked over at the Doctor nodding.

"Earth is one of my favorite places," he assured Willow. "Donna's from Earth."

Willow's eyes widened and she looked at Donna with enough awe to bring a slight blush to her cheeks.

"I'm nothing special," Donna asserted quickly. "I was just an ordinary temp in Chiswick when I ran into the Doctor here."

"Nonsense," the Doctor contradicted her, "you're brilliant!"

"You say that to all the girls," Donna quipped back. "Now come with me, Willow, and I'll find you a place to sleep. This place is enormous…"

The Doctor sat silently for some time after the women left, musing about his choice to add to his companions like this. He already knew the Tardis approved of her inclusion to the select group of travelers he had accumulated but why? True, she had a different way of looking at things but was there anything else special? Anything he should be considering? Even after careful reflection he couldn't nail down what it was about Willow that intrigued him enough to invite her along. Whatever it was, it would only become clear with time. Deciding to simply wait and see, an approach that he rather enjoyed if the truth be told, he made his way to the control room to set course for Earth. Deciding this would be a good time for Donna to visit her folks he set the time index for the 21st century.

When Donna and Willow joined him in the control room Willow was dressed slightly more appropriately for adventuring in a pair of soft tan slacks made of some silky material and a blue, long sleeved tunic-like shirt, also silky and with some sort of sparkly thread in it giving the impression of stars just winking into existence in the twilight sky. She wore flexible, moccasin-like footwear that she assured the Doctor was both comfortable and waterproof. Her long blond hair had been gathered into a loose braid that went from the crown of her head back in a style that looked ridiculously complicated to the Doctor but at least it was neat and would be out of the way.

With both women in the control room the Doctor pulled a few switches, turned some knobs and cheerfully slapped the rematerialization button. The familiar sound of the Tardis solidifying in a new location filled the room and as soon as the noise faded away the Doctor gestured at Willow to be first out the Tardis doors. However, rather than the noise and bustle of a busy London street, Willow stepped out into a quiet street in a small town.

There was no way this was a town in England, much less London. Across the street from where the Tardis had tucked herself between two buildings and behind a shed was a three story building with treated logs and a sign declaring it was the Prospector Inn. Next to it was another building deliberately built to look rustic calling itself the Dew Drop Inn – it had swinging doors leading into a foyer. Further down the street Willow saw a western wear shop selling jeans, cowboy boots and a variety of cowboy hats, a small café and a larger family restaurant that was named The Longhorn.

The streets were quiet with virtually no traffic at all and only a few miles on either side of town evergreen trees marched up the sides of the foothills that quickly became mountains. This town was in a valley and clearly more likely to be in America than the United Kingdom.

"Where are we?" Willow asked in confusion. "Or is it 'when' are we?"

"Ahhh," the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I'm not sure. Let me just pop back in the Tardis and see what she has to say."

"Why don't you just ask someone?" Willow asked with what seemed to be inescapable logic to her.

"Better not," the Doctor decided. "Best to go into these situations armed with as much knowledge as possible."

He ducked back into the Tardis but Donna strode out of the small alley they'd materialized into towards the tavern across the street and Willow followed her. Twilight was just settling in on the street, the sun already down behind the mountains but still casting enough light that the two women could see perfectly well. They didn't know it but they'd just missed a spectacular sunset with the snow tipped mountains reflecting the vivid reds and oranges of the setting sun.

"_Okay, old girl," the Doctor muttered half to himself and half to the Tardis as he flipped switches and turned knobs, "tell me where we are. And if you'd be so kind, give me a clue why you brought us here."_

_A frown settled in on his face as he read the information the Tardis brought up on the screen…_

"Hello, could you help us?" Willow asked the bartender pleasantly as they seated themselves at the bar. She found the high barstools quite entertaining.

"Hey, we've got a liquor license to keep! No kids!" the bartender snapped.

"I'm twenty four years old!" Willow declared.

"Got any ID?" the man demanded.

"What's ID?"

So it was that Willow and Donna found themselves back on the street.

"Oi! That was rude!" Donna protested, wrenching her arm from the grip of a burly man in jeans, flannel shirt and a Stetson hat.

"Just keep your little sister out of bars, lady," he told her, not unkindly.

"Where's the Doctor with his psychic paper when we need him?" Donna muttered as she looked up and down the street. A little further on was the western themed restaurant and she pointed it out to Willow.

"Maybe we should wait for the Doctor to join us?" Willow asked nervously.

"Nonsense!" Donna scoffed, "We'll find out far more by keeping our ears open and our eyes peeled."

Donna marched them to the restaurant and they ordered a meal. The restaurant was cheery with yellow pine walls, Norman Rockwell prints and a few cross-stitched samplers. Willow was fascinated by everything from the red and white checkered table cloths to the long sleeved plaid shirts almost everyone, male and female, were wearing. Her own top actually employed micro-circuitry to keep her warm or cool as the environment required so she hadn't noticed the chill in the air as soon as the sun dipped behind the mountains.

Donna decided to try a steak and Willow ordered a Caesar Salad. Both women were confidant that the Doctor would join them shortly. Unknown to them, however, the Doctor had left the Tardis and ventured into the tavern. He was too busy talking to the people in there to spare a thought for Donna and Willow. His research had indicated that this town of Republic, Washington had a problem and there was nothing he liked better than solving problems – unless it was uncovering a mystery.

While the Doctor asked leading questions and carefully listened as much to what iwasn't/i said as what was, Donna and Willow listened circumspectly to the talk around them. It was Willow who first noticed the dearth of children.

"Shouldn't there be at least a few children?" she whispered to Donna. The lack of children might just explain the subdued, almost oppressed atmosphere that she sensed hanging over the room.

"You're right." Donna agreed thoughtfully. "I think you're the youngest person in here. Everyone else is middle aged or older. But maybe it's just a school night?"

"Something is wrong, Donna." Willow insisted gently. "People are afraid and they're sad. But they seem to be hiding their feelings – why?"

"How would you know what people are feeling?"

"I don't know. I'm right though. Look at them."

As she spoke her eyes locked onto the manager approaching their table. The man exuded irritation and aggression.

"Ladies, you've occupied this table long enough. Please be kind enough to pay your check and vacate the table."

His words and tone were cordial enough but he was angry about something – Willow had no idea what. Donna, however, suddenly looked horrified.

"Money! I forgot money!" she blurted in dismay. The manager's face hardened ominously.

"You ordered food you can't pay for?"

"I have pounds." Donna pulled some colorful bills out of her purse.

"But we forgot to exchange them for American currency." Willow explained, not sure where the words came from but sensing their appropriateness.

"I can't use this!" the manager was not appeased. "You two wait right here – the police will handle this."

Donna and Willow exchanged troubled looks. Where was the Doctor?

"Wilt you can't call the police!" their waitress, a young woman with bright blue eyes and blond hair pulled into a ponytail, hissed worriedly.

"They're strangers. Better them than one of us," he replied with equal parts indignation and guilt.

"Better no one!" the woman retorted firmly. "I'll cover their check and you cool your jets!"

"Thank you!" Donna burst out with relief. "We'll pay you back, I swear."

"Don't worry about it. But you might want to skedaddle out of town quickly. This ain't a good place to be a stranger in right now."

Donna nodded although Willow was sure she had no intention of going anywhere.

"Look, is there anything we can do to help?" Willow burst out suddenly. "We came with a friend who is very good at helping people."

"Oh, aren't you sweet!" the waitress smiled at her like she was a precocious child. "But the best thing you two can do is get back in your car and wave good bye to Republic, Washington in your rearview window."

Down the street the Doctor suddenly looked up from his conversation, a concerned look on his face.

"Please excuse me," he told the man sitting next to him at the bar, "I just remembered an important engagement."

He burst out of the tavern and headed unerringly for the restaurant down the street, just as Donna and Willow emerged. They all saw each other at the same time and gathered into a huddle of intense whispers and looks on the other side of the street.

"Doctor! Something is wrong here!" Donna exclaimed in a hoarse whisper.

"There are no children," Willow added sadly, "and people are very frightened."

"Of what?" he asked them curiously.

"Their police, for one thing," Donna supplied with more than a touch of acid in her voice. "But there's more than just that…"

A police car drove slowly by and then stopped halfway up the street.

"Back to the Tardis!" the Doctor urged them as the car began slowly backing up. "Don't run yet but go!"

"Hey! You three, STOP!" the officer called through his speaker system.

"Go on – I'll talk to him." Willow urged them, stopping and turning.

"Willow, no!" the Doctor hissed.

"Go!"

Willow was banking on her youthful looks to protect her. It was a hunch but the lack of children encouraged her to believe that she might be treated well. She was still frightened but convinced that she could buy the Doctor and Donna time enough to escape. Willow had a great deal of faith that they could figure out the problem and rescue her if need be.

Behind her the Doctor and Donna picked up their pace, although they weren't running yet.

"You two, stop now and put your hands up," the officer called again, pulling to a stop next to Willow.

The Doctor and Donna ducked down a side street and broke into a run. Willow put her hands up, smiled uncertainly at the officer and did her best to look innocent and harmless.

"Where are they going?" the officer demanded, stepping out of the car and caressing the gun holstered at his hip with unconscious aggression.

He was a tall man, at least six feet, with a five o'clock shadow on his chin and dark brown hair peeking out from under the brim of his hat. He was broad shouldered and looked strong to Willow but he had the beginnings of a paunch straining at the buttons of his uniform shirt and an unhappy frown on his face. Willow got the impression of irritation, satisfaction and a trickle of the ever present fear that was hanging in the air like a London fog.

"They're trying to reach the Tardis." Willow said honestly, seeing no reason to lie.

"What the hell is a Tardis?"

"It's his ship. The waitress said we should leave so we were trying to leave."

"Why did she tell you to leave?" the man demanded irritably.

"Because this isn't a good town to be a stranger in," Willow answered simply. "Have I done something wrong?"

"I need to see your ID."

"I don't know what ID is."

"Identification. A driver's license, passport, green card, something…" he clarified.

"I don't have anything like those things. Why do you need my identification? Can't I just tell you who I am?"

"You could be lying," he noted. "And you're not American – so if you don't have a green card you're here illegally. I'm going to have to take you in."

"In where?"

"Are you stupid? I'm taking you to the station. We'll run your pictures and your photo and see if you're wanted for anything."

"How could I be wanted for anything? I'm not from around here."

"Just get in the car!"

"No!" the Doctor thumped his forehead with a fist as Willow obeyed that command and slid into the backseat of the police car. He and Donna had run down one block and then doubled around to see if they could do anything without being captured themselves. The Doctor almost started out from where they were skulking between an evergreen shrub and a house but Donna grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"We can't help her if we're in jail with her," she whispered forcefully. "We have to figure out what's going on."

"Come with us," a new voice said from behind them.

The Doctor and Donna whirled to face this new threat and found a young man in the ever present jeans and cowboy boots and a t-shirt proclaiming he was a member of the Horde and a green monster face on it. He didn't look much older than Willow, which rather surprised Donna, and the anxiety on his face made him look considerably younger than his actual age of 27.

"Are you coming or not? It isn't safe to be out at night," he demanded, glancing around them with the sort of nervous hyper-alertness that made the Doctor and Donna think of battlefields and sieges.

"Who is 'us'?" Donna wanted to know.

"Are they coming or not, Jer?" a female voice demanded from behind the house.

Making his decision off the cuff, like he usually did, the Doctor started forward with a nod to their guide.

"Yes, we'll be coming."

"What about Willow?" Donna worried.

"We'll be back for her," the Doctor promised grimly, turning the corner of the house and following the woman waving them on through the gate of the fence to the back yard. "But first we need to get more information. We've _got_ to figure out what's going on."

"Well we'd better hurry," Donna noted unnecessarily. "She's the youngest person I've seen in this town, besides this fellow, and I've got a really bad feeling about that."

"So do I, Donna," the Doctor agreed bleakly. "So do I."

In the back of the police car Willow sat very quietly and hoped that her growing fear didn't show on her face.


	2. Divide and Conquor

Divide and Conquer

"You wait here."

The man who had brought her to the station had photographed her face from the front and the side, made copies of her fingerprints and filled out a very long questionnaire on the computer. Willow hadn't been able to give him many answers and had no clue what he was talking about with quite a few of them. The man was even angrier now than he had been when he'd tried to stop them on the street.

Willow was growing more frightened by the moment and wondering if her impulsive move had been the right one. But she was pretty sure that the three of them could never have escaped – something she kept reminding herself of as the man's tension grew. Now he'd placed her in an empty cell with concrete walls, ceiling and floor and an interior 'wall' of metal bars. She sat on the thin mattress and drew her knees to her chest wondering just what it was that she should do now.

She buried her face in her knees hoping to hide both her fear and her incipient tears from her captors. Doubts tormented her. She'd ignored the Doctor – would he leave her now? Was he angry with her? And Donna surely despised her now. She'd gone and gotten herself captured on their first adventure. They must both regret having agreed to take her along…

Lost in recrimination and misgivings Willow scarcely noticed as tears dampened the fabric of her slacks.

Not very far away the Doctor and Donna were huddled around a simple pine kitchen table discussing Willow's plight. Yes, the Doctor was angry with her but not because of her impulsive attempt to help. He simply hated it when his companions put themselves into harm's way.

Their companions were the young man who had caught their attention as Willow had been taken prisoner and his mother, a middle aged woman with wide gray streaks in her dark brown hair and somber hazel eyes. Her son had inherited her hazel eyes and sharp nose but his hair was black and his skin several shades darker than his mother's. His name was Jeremy and his mother was Lorene.

"There isn't anything you can do," Lorene was warning the Doctor in response to his plan to infiltrate the police station. "We've tried that before – that how we lost Luke."

"My dad," Jeremy explained shortly.

"They killed him?" Donna demanded with disbelief.

"We don't know. None of the men who went in came back out," Lorene said bleakly. "That was three months ago and it's kind of hard to hold onto hope."

"Why are you helping us?" Donna wondered. "For all you know we're working for them."

"The ones that work with them have a certain look about 'em," Lorene replied briefly. "You don't have that look. You still have souls," she added cryptically.

"I can't leave Willow in there," the Doctor declared in a quiet voice that brooked no opposition. "She's never been in a situation like this and I won't leave her."

"Doctor," Donna countered, "what about everyone else? What about the missing people, the missing children? Are you going to abandon them for one person who made her choice? Would that honor her bravery?"

"Whatever is going on, it centers on that police station. We're going to have to enter it sooner or later – Willow just means that we need to make it sooner."

"Then you should have just let the police take you along with her," Lorene told them tiredly. The Doctor's intransigence seemed to sap the last bit of hope and life from her.

"We'll do better if we go in under our own power. Do you happen to have any maps of the station? Anything that might help?"

"Jeremy, get the man the maps your dad put together. I'll fix us something to eat. If we're going to go we might as well do it on a full stomach."

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue but Donna silenced him with a look.

"Look, I know how you feel about this," she hissed as Jeremy and Lorene went about their tasks, "but you're not doing anyone favors by loosing your head. I know Willow looks like a strong wind will blow her over but she's stronger than she looks. Remember what she did on Midnight – that was not a weak child but a strong woman. Have some faith in her."

Reminded of the events on the crystal planet, the Doctor seriously considered Donna's words. And he found himself agreeing with her.

"You're right," he admitted to her. "She's stronger than even she knows. So what do you recommend?"

"I want to know about the children," Donna told him. "I don't know why exactly but it's bothering me. It's bothering me a lot."

"What children? What are you talking about?" Lorene asked them as she placed bowls of stew in front of them.

Over a meal of beef stew, homemade bread and a green salad the Doctor and Donna tried to figure out what had happened to the children of Republic. They were hampered by the fact that Lorene and Jeremy had no idea what they were talking about. They admitted that the small town had two daycare centers, an elementary and high school, and that it was normal for a town to have a number of children but they couldn't remember any children at all. And then there was a knock at the back door.

All four people were immediately apprehensive.

"Open up, Lorene – I already know about the strangers," said a man from the other side of the door.

Donna eyed the front door, wondering if the danger of a strange man at the back was worth the risk of going out on the street, but Jeremy and Lorene relaxed.

"It's my brother," Lorene told them as she went to the door.

Two women and three men slipped inside as soon as she opened the door. As soon as the last was in she gently shut the door and threw the deadbolt again. Donna began gathering up the dinner detritus while the Doctor sat at the table radiating calm and competency for all he was worth. Whatever it was that brought these people here tonight it could only help him to figure out what was going on. He hated to admit that he was completely clueless but the truth was that he had no idea what could possibly be going on in this isolated place.

"I'm Donald," Lorene's brother introduced himself. The family resemblance between the two siblings was clear. They had the same brown hair and hazel eyes and the same mouth, generous and looking strangely out of place tight with worry rather than smiling. "This here is Sam and his nephew Silas."

Sam and Silas were blond, bull necked and their fair skin was deeply tanned with a ruddy hue that showed frequent and long exposure to the summer sun. Sam's blond hair was liberally streaked with gray and Silas' hair was so pale it was impossible to know if he had gray or not. Sam looked to be in his mid fifties and Silas didn't look older than his early thirties, if that.

"Talise here is my wife," Donald's gesture indicated a tall woman with jet black hair, lightly graying, and the russet tan of a Native American. Her features were strong, ageless and quite beautiful. "And Lisa is the mayor's sister."

Lisa was a petite red head with freckled skin and green eyes. She looked to be Jeremy's age and the look they exchanged seemed to indicate a deeper relationship than just buddies but neither moved towards the other or spoke a word.

"We came to fill the Doctor in," Donald finished. Donna looked up sharply at his words.

"How do you know who he is?" she demanded suspiciously.

"She told us. She told us you'd be coming and that you could help."

"She who?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"I've no idea. She called me for the first time shortly after the children disappeared."

"So you remember the children?"

"Yes," Lisa answered. "I do not forget and I help him to remember."

Her voice held the hint of an accent.

"Our twin sons and their sister vanished three months ago," she went on, exchanging a look with her husband that was fraught with old fear and present sorrow.

"When Lorene's husband vanished?"

"That's what prompted him to try and infiltrate the station. His daughter Brenda disappeared that same day."

"Brenda!" Lorene gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "How did I forget her?"

"Most forget them," Talise reminded her sister-in-law, going over to place a comforting arm over her shoulders. "I cannot."

"Why not?" Donna wondered. "What's different about you?"

The Doctor responded to that question by pulling out his sonic screwdriver and pointing it at Talise, moving it up and down and side to side until it had covered her entire body. She watched his actions with the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips and when he finished she arched a sardonic brow in his direction.

"And that establishes what?"

"Nothing much, you've slightly elevated serotonin levels and a bit of extra activity in your corpus callosum. It might have allowed you to retain your memories over whatever it is that is blocking them," the Doctor responded absently as he repeated the procedure with the other people in the room.

"It's almost like that perception filter thing you told me about," Donna mused.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" he agreed, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications. Then he gave his head a slight shake and focused on Donald again.

"Tell me about this mysterious woman. How often have you spoken? What did she say, exactly? What does she sound like? What does she look like?"

"We've never seen her – she phoned us. She's got an accent like yours," Donald responded, rubbing a big hand over his chin as he concentrated. "Didn't sound especially young or especially old – more young than old, though. And she told us that the Doctor would be coming and if we helped you that you'd help everyone."

"Everyone? You're sure she said 'everyone'?"

"Yes, that's what she said. I remembered it because Lorene was so broke up about Brenda and we were just as worried about Brooke and Heath and Hunter. This woman's claim gave us both hope."

"Was she right, Doctor? Will you help us?" Lorene asked in a way that made it seem as though the Doctor's answer would be a legally binding promise.

"I will, Lorene," he replied, just as if he were affirming an oath.

"And so will I," Donna added, not about to be left out.

The beleaguered group relaxed slightly, but only for a moment before the distinctive red and blue flashes of a police care flickered through the curtains blocking the windows in the front room.

"C'mon!" Donald ordered the group, opening the back door and holding it. "Lorene, you and Jeremy have to stay here – you know that."

Lorene looked like she'd like to argue but Jeremy put his hand on her shoulder and she nodded shortly, turning instead to fill the sink with hot water and dish soap. The Doctor caught her eye just before he slipped out the door after everyone and he gave her a solemn nod. Lorene's lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile and the tension in her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Go through the gap," Donald instructed the Doctor as he quietly shut the back door. The Doctor followed his pointing finger to see two loose boards in the back yard fence being held apart by Sam and Silas. He wasted no time in following Donald's instructions and moments later the back yard was empty and silent, the fence looking just as solid as ever.

Donna was quickly completely lost as their guides led them through alleys and even yards, twisting, turning and even backtracking a few times. For such a small place, it seemed to have dozens of back streets and alleys. And Donna found herself in the rear fairly quickly as endurance running was not a sport she enjoyed or was in shape for. When an empty playground caught her eye and she slowly headed towards it, not one member of the group noticed.

Donna touched the frame of the swing set, hearing the echo of childish laughter in her mind. Suddenly Joshua and Ella, her children from her life in the Library's computer, were thrust into the forefront of her thoughts and tears sparkled in her eyes. It didn't matter that they were merely computer simulations, Joshua and Ella had been her children and she still loved and missed them. She understood Lorene and Talise's pain.

"_Mommy? Mommy, where are you?"_

Donna's head swiveled as she tried to pinpoint where that faint cry had originated.

"Ella? Ella darling? Is that you? Where are you?" she called, retaining just enough awareness of her surroundings to keep her voice low.

"_Mommy, I fell and hurt my knee,"_ the ghostly voice complained. _"Help me, Mommy, it hurts!"_

"I'm coming, Ella!" Donna called, "Hang on, Mommy's coming!"

She never saw the hairy arm swing down from the solitary Maple tree at the edge of the woods and as she inhaled to scream a second hairy arm sprayed something in her face.

"No! Ella needs me! I have to…" Donna protested weakly before losing consciousness.

The creature slung her limp body over one shoulder and set off in the same direction Donna had been headed in a loping run. By the time the Doctor noticed Donna's absence she was far from the playground.

"No, Doctor, you can't go back and look for her," Donald insisted, holding the Doctor by the shoulders. "There's no way we could find her and the risk is too much."

"She has been taken by the Sasquatch," Talise declared quietly. "We will find no trace of her."

"We have to look!" the Doctor insisted desperately. Silas joined Donald in holding him back.

"We will find nothing," Talise told him, fixing him with an intense look that froze him in his struggles. "The Sasquatch takes them and they are never seen again. Forget finding your friend – she is gone."

"Talise, I will never give up on finding my friend," the Doctor assured her grimly. "But I grant that I won't find her tonight. While we go to where ever it is that you are taking me, perhaps you will tell me about this Sasquatch."

"I will tell you what I can, although there is not much that we know," Talise promised him.

Donald and Silas released the Doctor rather gingerly, as if they were worried that he would either bolt or perhaps retaliate against them, but the Doctor merely sighed and turned to face the direction they had been traveling before he had noticed Donna's absence.

Back at the jail, Willow was awakened from a troubled sleep by the sensation of eyes on her. She sat up with a start as she saw the cloaked figure in the shadows by the door.

"Where is he?" the figure demanded, her voice quiet and almost contemplative. "Why hasn't he come for you?"

"If you mean the Doctor," Willow responded hesitantly, "I don't know. I've only traveled with him for a very short time."

"He _must_ come," the mystery woman insisted softly. "Perhaps if you are in danger?"

Willow tensed as a thrill of terror shot through her. Perhaps the most frightening thing of all was the lack of anger or malice in the strange woman's voice.

"Yes," the woman seemed to come to a decision, "yes, we will take you to meet _him_. That will bring the Doctor here."

"But the Doctor has no way of knowing if I'm in danger or not," Willow protested, rather weakly.

The woman ignored her and strode into the main station area. Her voice floated back to Willow, ordering two of the officers to bring her to the Mayor's office for evaluation. Willow shivered, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan for escape or to sway her captors from this course of action, but nothing occurred to her.

Just a few miles away the Doctor stopped short and he turned slowly until he was facing the direction of the Police Station, although he didn't know it. His anxiety for his missing companions ratcheted up a notch but the reason for his tension wasn't clear.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked Talise.

"Our family's cabin," she told him calmly. "It is private and secluded so you should be safe there."

"I don't need to be "safe"," he argued irritably, "I need to get to the bottom of this."

"What do you suggest, then?" Donald snapped, worried about his sister and nephew and worried even more about his town.

"I want to go to the Police Station – now."

"Why?" Talise probed. "Why the Police Station and not backtracking for your other friend? And why now?"

"Willow…" the Doctor paused, considering what he was feeling. "Willow needs me now."

"How could you possibly know that?" Lisa spoke for the first time. Her question wasn't skeptical, she was genuinely curious.

"I don't really know," the Doctor admitted. "Willow is new to my traveling group but I am positive that she needs me now. Can you help me get in to the station undetected?"

Lisa eyed the Doctor, clearly considering whether or not helping him was a good idea. Finally she glance over and Donald and Talise with a question in her eyes. Donald shrugged his resignation and Talise nodded slowly, as if she had received the answer to some unspoken question.

"Yes. I know a way into the building that no one ever uses – a maintenance tunnel that seems to have been forgotten. But I can't promise you that whatever has taken over the building doesn't know about the entrance," she warned them.

"Is it the same entrance that Lorene's husband used?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"No. I wasn't involved with the planning for that attempt."

"Then it's our best option – take me to it."

"Doctor, you realize this is a trap, do you not?" Talise asked gently.

"Yeah," he admitted readily, "but it's one I have to face. Willow is in danger and she's going to need my help to escape it."

"Then I will join you," Talise announced. "Donald, you and Sam and Silas need to return home. Someone will have to handle the morning chores and someone needs to know where we have gone in the event we do not return."

"None of you are going in with me," the Doctor countered. "So you might as well return with the others."

"Doctor, I have dreamed my dreams and I will be joining you. You might as well accept that."

The Doctor's lips tightened in annoyance but there was really nothing he could say. He knew as well as she did that he had no authority over her.

"Very well, but you both need to _listen_ to me," he relented. "I've already lost my companions and I'm not going to lose anyone else – do you understand me?"

"Of course we understand you."

Talise's expression was unreadable as she answered. The Doctor had to take her words on faith.


End file.
